Seat construction



Aug. 24-, 1937. w. HOFFMAN 2,090,839

SEAT CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 25, 1936 FZQOZ 5 .9

jnvemz on' mlziam EWWZ/QW/ a bdwwm J J2 Jztorney Patented Aug. 24, 1937 UNITED STATES smear tri 1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in seat constructions and particularly to spring supporting structures for upholstered furniture.

The object of my invention is to provide a cushion, or seat, having relatively greater flexibility in the center thereof than at the edge portions where undistributed weight is applied, as by a person leaning or kneeling upon the front edge portion, or upon the ends of the seat.

A further object is to provide a seat construction in which the compression springs which are located adjacent to the front and end portions of the seat are mounted upon relatively rigid supports and the compression springs which are 13 located adjacent to the center of the seat are supported by more yielding supporting means.

A further object is to provide slats for supporting the compression springs of the seat and form said slats of metal plate sections connected by short tension springs, and provide attaching means between the opposite ends of the slats and the seat frame.

These together with various other novel features of construction and arrangement of the parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed, constitute my invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan view of a seat frame embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2, Fig. 1, and showing a completed seat.

Fig. 3 is a partial vertical section on line 3-3, Fig. 1.

In the drawing, in which like reference characters refer to like parts, 5 represents the seat construction which includes a frame 6, formed of a front wall I, a rear wall 8, and end walls 9 and Ill. The walls of the frame are usually of wood, and rigidly secured together forming a rectangular frame. The frame in the present disclosure is adapted for a seat for furniture,

such as chairs and davenports and also as a seat for automobiles.

Horizontal slats, or strips, l2, of novel construction are mounted within the frame 6, for supporting compression springs I4. The usual upholstery material l5 and padding it, are secured upon the springs Hi. The springs I4 are secured at their upper ends by a wire structure H, in the usual manner, as shown in Fig. 2. Said springs I4 are arranged in vertical rows extending parallel with the front and rear walls 1 and 8 of the frame, as shown in Fig. 1.

The slats I2 each comprise plate sections I8 and I9 formed of strips of flat sheet spring metal. Said sections are each provided with an angular end portion 22, which is bent at right angles to the length of the plate section. The end portions 22 are secured to the front and rear walls I and 8 of the frame by fastening devices 23, which may be in the form of staples, or split pins, which extend through the walls of the frame and are clamped upon the outer surfaces of the walls.

The adjacent inner ends of the plate sections l8 and iii are connected by short tension springs 25, having end hooks 26. The plate sections are provided with holes 2! for the attachment of the hooks 26 to the adjacent plate sections.

The plate sections l8 and 19 are arranged with the tension springs 25 located adjacent to the center row of compression springs l4 extending parallel with the front and rear walls 1 and 8 of the frame, so that the center row of springs will be yieldingly supported and give greater flexibility to the center of the seat, as indicated by dot and dash lines in Fig. 2.

The plate sections [8 and. H] are of different lengths so that the tension springs 25 may be located between two compression springs l4, thus permitting the central vertical row of springs M to be located midway between the front and rear walls I and 8 of the frame.

The longer plate sections l8 are attached to the rear wall 8 of the frame and the shorter plate sections I9 are attached to the front wall 1 of the frame. There are two compression springs l4 secured upon each of the longer plates I8 and one compression spring 14 secured upon each of the shorter plates 19. By this arrangement the compression springs l4 forming the row of springs extending through the center of the seat and parallel with the front wall I of the frame are more yieldingly supported than the rows of compression springs l4 located adjacent to the front and rear walls 1 and 8 of the frame.

Transverse plates 30 are attached by fastening devices ill and 32 to the end walls 9 and Ill of the frame and to the longer plate sections N3 of the slats which are located next adjacent to the end walls 9 and ll] of the frame. Said plates 30 add rigidity to the slats and the compression springs located adjacent to said end walls and provide additional support for the end portions of the seat.

The compression springs I4 are securely attached to the plate sections [8 and l9 by means of tongues 33, pressed from the metal of which the plates l8 and I9 are formed, and to which tongues the bottom coils of the compression springs I 4 are interlocked.

A seat construction formed with sectional slats and having the sections connected by tension springs located adjacent to the center of the seat, will have greater flexibility in the center thereof, and the edge portions of the seat will be more rigidly supported by the plate sections being directly attached to the walls of the frame.

Various changes in the arrangement and construction of the parts may be made without departing from my invention.

I claim: I

A seat construction comprising front, rear and end walls of the frame and to the inner ends of 10 plate sections of the slats located adjacent to and parallel with the end walls of the frame.

WILLIAM HOFFMAN. 

